Fort Bend County Libraries (FBCL) is hosting an online Poetry Slam Competition for teens and young adults on Saturday, May 8, at 2:00 pm. The theme for the live-streamed performance-poetry competition is “Dare to Hope.”
Anyone who enjoys poetry is invited to watch the competition, which will take place online. Reservations are required to view the event; a link to the Webex session will be sent to all spectators who register on the online calendar of FBCL’s website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us).
Students 14 to 20 years of age were invited to submit entries on the FBCL website by May 6. They will compete for prizes in this performance-poetry event by reading an original work they have created themselves.
To participate in the competition, contestants submitted a copy of an original poem they wish to read for the competition. The poem will be read for a qualifying round and a final round if the participant advances.
There will be one qualifying round and one final round. A panel of five judges will determine which competitors advance to the final round.
Judging will be based on language, idea, theme, tone, mood, vocal strength, emotion, body/facial movement, and fluency.
Poems must be limited to no longer than 3 minutes and 10 seconds in length. Poets may read from a copy of their poem, but they may not use props, costumes, or musical instruments.
Poems must be family friendly and may not include any profanity or sexually explicit content. Poems containing incendiary, offensive, discriminatory, or inflammatory language will be disqualified.
Prizes will be awarded to the top three competitors.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Fort Bend County Libraries, the Poetry Slam is free and open to the public. For more information, call the library system’s Communications Office at 281-633-4734.